Talks on aquaculture growth in Norway
THE Norwegian fisheries minister, Per Sandberg, met his counterpart in Edinburgh earlier this month to discuss Norway’s approach to aquaculture, Brexit and continued cooperation.
Scotland’s rural economy minister, Fergus Ewing, and environment secretary, Roseanna Cunningham, welcomed Sandberg to Scotland, where he also met fishing industry representatives.
Ahead of the meeting, Ewing described the talks as ‘an opportunity for both myself and Roseanna Cunningham to discuss the Norwegian government’s approach to aquaculture and how that aligns with our own vision to grow the sector sustainably’.
‘Our aquaculture sector now supports more than 12,000 jobs and makes a major contribution to the economy in remote rural, island and coastal areas by supporting high-skilled employment in local communities and releasing a series of indirect benefits throughout the supply chain. ‘We recognise the close links of our farmed salmon and seafood producers with Norwegian companies. ‘This meeting will provide a chance to explore further opportunities, while also considering how we might learn from Norway in the area of fish health, sustainable growth and, indeed, enabling more home grown businesses to develop. ‘And of course Norway is a key partner for fisheries and we look forward to continuing and strengthening our cooperation with them in this area.’